Cleaning your eyeglasses?

August 13, 2005 2:16 PM

Eyeglass wearers: Do you ever notice a buildup of dirt and gunk in that very narrow area where lens and frame meet? What methods have you found to work best for cleaning in that hard-to-reach area?
posted by .kobayashi. to Grab Bag (22 answers total)

soak them in some washing up liquid and then brush them with a soft bristle tootbrush.
posted by cantthinkofone at 2:20 PM on August 13, 2005

A soft, worn-out toothbrush gently used works well; if you are really into getting it clean, take out the screws holding the lenses in the frame, clean the frame thoroughly with the aforementioned brush, and put it all back together while holding the lenses with a paper towel to avoid smudges.
posted by TedW at 2:21 PM on August 13, 2005

I went to have my glasses adjusted recently, and the optician popped them into a little ultrasonic cleaning tank. They came out as clean as when I bought them, i.e., the frames (metal) were an entirely different color.

That's what we need.
posted by words1 at 2:22 PM on August 13, 2005

Don't soak them in washing up liquid if you have coated lenses. I did and the coating started to flake off.
posted by Navek Rednam at 2:30 PM on August 13, 2005

What's "washing up liquid"? Dish soap? Window cleaner?

Ultrasonic cleaners are the way to go, but most people don't have one laying around. (They're also sold as "(ultrasonic) jewelry cleaners" around here, but few of them seem large enough to fully contain a pair of glasses.)
posted by loquacious at 2:41 PM on August 13, 2005

The tip of a fresh Xacto blade can get in there
posted by Thorzdad at 2:41 PM on August 13, 2005

I go into the optometrist about every 2 months for a good cleaning (which they'll usually do for free) ... they'll pop the lenses out, clean the frames ultrasonically, etc.
posted by WolfDaddy at 2:50 PM on August 13, 2005

"What's "washing up liquid"? Dish soap? Window cleaner?"

Stuff you use to soften water when doing dishes. Although I'd be wary of any commercial soap cleaner as I'm not aware what agent causes the flakiness.
posted by Navek Rednam at 2:52 PM on August 13, 2005

Water Pik.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 3:38 PM on August 13, 2005

when I first got glasses, my father suggested that once a day I run them under the tap to prevent gunk build-up on the bridge and wherever.

I never did that, but you might give it a shot. His glasses always seemed remarkably clean.
posted by fishfucker at 4:31 PM on August 13, 2005

The ultrasound tank thing is amazing. They do it for free here in Korea, but I don't know about elsewhere.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:11 PM on August 13, 2005

I always use Simple Green to clean my glasses. Spray it on, gently massage with fingers, rinse under tap, dry with paper towel. No streaks, and no buildup of any kind. Fair warning: it does say on the bottle that it's not safe for all plastics, so YMMV. But I've cleaned my prescription lenses and my reading glasses with it for years with no discernible ill effect.
posted by bricoleur at 5:22 PM on August 13, 2005

Don't use Lava Soap like my dad did once.
posted by makonan at 5:51 PM on August 13, 2005

I always use Simple Green to clean my glasses. Spray it on, gently massage with fingers, rinse under tap, dry with paper towel. No streaks, and no buildup of any kind.

Not so sure that this is a great idea. Simple Green straight is pretty strong (it discolors anodized bike parts) and paper towels are not recommended by my optician. He says to use diapers or other soft cloths. Paper towels are pretty scratchy.
posted by fixedgear at 6:02 PM on August 13, 2005

Have you thought about just taking the lenses out, cleaning the frame and lens seperately, and then putting them back in?

After much sweat and exertion, my glasses get *green* gunk. A little soap and water does the trick.
posted by unixrat at 6:39 PM on August 13, 2005

Simple Green straight is pretty strong (it discolors anodized bike parts)...

But it sure does de-grease my glasses. If you're concerned that it will attack yours, use dishwashing soap instead.

and paper towels are not recommended by my optician. He says to use diapers or other soft cloths. Paper towels are pretty scratchy...

Blot, don't rub. And I've been doing this for years and have yet to notice any degradation of my lenses. But no warranty is either expressed or implied...
posted by bricoleur at 6:43 PM on August 13, 2005

I use, for regular cleaning, a kit I got at a Rite Aid drugstore. It's got a bottle of an alcohol solution that pumps the stuff into a sponge which you wet the lenses with. And it came with a soft lintless cloth to dry and polish.

Re: gunk that builds up in crevices, I tend to use either a toothpick or the business end of a nail file. Or an alcohol-soaked Q-Tip.
posted by Vidiot at 7:47 PM on August 13, 2005 [1 favorite]

What Thorzdad said: Xacto knife.
posted by pmurray63 at 9:22 PM on August 13, 2005

I either use a "glasses repair kit" (tiny screwdriver) to unscrew the frames, pop the lenses out, and clean that way - or use a dental pick (from an electronics store).
posted by mrbill at 9:57 PM on August 13, 2005

(also: how many of us, me included, just started cleaning their glasses after reading this question?)
posted by mrbill at 10:04 PM on August 13, 2005

I get the green stuff too, unixrat. I use the edge of my eyeglass screwdriver to scrape it off.
posted by danb at 10:25 PM on August 13, 2005

Another sufferer of green stuff. I use safety pins or toothpicks or anything with a skinny, sharpish tip to clean the crevices and the undersides of the nose pads. [And yeah, this question made me start cleaning my glasses.]
posted by ubersturm at 9:45 AM on August 17, 2005